TEAS Test

The TEAS test is used by many nursing programs in the United States as a pre-admissions test. Known officially as the Test of Essential Academic Skills, it contains 170 multiple choice questions in four areas: Reading, Math, Science, and English. As the official name suggests, nursing programs use the exam as a method of determining if applicants have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in nursing school. A mediocre score on the TEAS can make it nearly impossible to be accepted into a nursing program, because schools are very reluctant to admit students if they don’t believe there’s an extremely high likelihood of them succeeding in school.

The Reading portion of the exam contains 48 questions, and test takers are given 58 minutes to complete it. On this section, questions measure the ability to understand and comprehend both paragraphs and passages as a whole, along with the ability to make inferences and draw correct conclusions. These last two are very good measures of the ability to think for one’s self, without having to have everything spelled out exactly.

In the Math section of the TEAS, test takers will have 51 minutes to answer 34 questions in many different areas of math. Questions will cover whole numbers (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division), decimal, fractions, percentages, metric conversions, ratio/proportions, and algebraic equations. Calculators are not allowed in the exam room, but test takers will be provided with a pencil and scratch paper which they may use.

The Science section consists of 66 questions with a time allotment of 54 minutes. This measures skills in scientific reasoning, as well as knowledge in the areas of general science, chemistry, biology, physiology, anatomy, and basic physical principles.

The English section has 34 questions with a time limit of 34 minutes, covering spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and vocabulary.

The TEAS is given at colleges and universities that offer nursing programs, usually by appointment only. There is a fee to take the test, which is set by the school. It’s usually somewhere in the range of forty to sixty dollars, but it could be higher. In order to take the exam you’ll need to bring a government issued photo ID on test day. Because the TEAS is so critical, it’s important to be prepare well in advance with study guides and daily study sessions. While there is no official passing score, high scores are considered very important by nursing school administrators.

TEAS Study Guide

Start learning how to be successful on your TEAS exam. Our TEAS study guide is guaranteed to help you get the results you deserve on your TEAS test. Some test takers prefer to study using flashcards and so we have created the best TEAS flashcards that cover everything you need to know for the TEAS exam. Note that using multiple study aids will help you maximize the benefit from your study time.

TEAS Practice Test

Questions 1 – 5 are based on the passage below:

The area known as the Bermuda Triangle has become such a part of popular culture that it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. The interest first began when five Navy planes vanished in 1945, officially resulting from “causes or reasons unknown.” The explanations about other accidents in the Triangle range from the scientific to the supernatural. Researchers have never been able to find anything truly mysterious about what happens in the Bermuda Triangle, if there even is a Bermuda Triangle. What is more, one of the biggest challenges in considering the phenomenon is deciding how much area actually represents the Bermuda Triangle. Most consider the Triangle to stretch from Miami out to Puerto Rico and to include the island of Bermuda. Others expand the area to include all of the Caribbean islands and to extend eastward as far as the Azores, which are closer to Europe than they are to North America.

The problem with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is that it increases the odds of accidents. There is near-constant travel, by ship and by plane, across the Atlantic, and accidents are expected to occur. In fact, the Bermuda Triangle happens to fall within one of the busiest navigational regions in the world, and the reality of greater activity creates the possibility for more to go wrong. Shipping records suggest that there is not a greater-than-average loss of vessels within the Bermuda Triangle, and many researchers have argued that the reputation of the Triangle makes any accident seem out of the ordinary. In fact, most accidents fall within the expected margin of error. The increase in ships from East Asia no doubt contributes to an increase in accidents. And as for the story of the Navy planes that disappeared within the Triangle, many researchers now conclude that it was the result of mistakes on the part of the pilots who were flying into storm clouds and simply got lost.

1. Which of the following describes this type of writing?

a. Narrative
b. Persuasive
c. Expository
d. Technical

2. Which of the following sentences is most representative of a summary sentence for this passage?

a. The problem with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is that it increases the odds of accidents.
b. The area that is called the Bermuda Triangle happens to fall within one of the busiest navigational regions in the world, and the reality of greater activity creates the possibility for more to go wrong.
c. One of the biggest challenges in considering the phenomenon is deciding how much area actually represents the Bermuda Triangle.
d. Researchers have never been able to find anything truly mysterious about what happens in the Bermuda Triangle, if there even is a Bermuda Triangle.

3. With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?

a. There is no real mystery about the Bermuda Triangle because most events have reasonable explanations.
b. Researchers are wrong to expand the focus of the Triangle to the Azores, because this increases the likelihood of accidents.
c. The official statement of “causes or reasons unknown” in the loss of the Navy planes was a deliberate concealment from the Navy.
d. Reducing the legends about the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle will help to reduce the number of reported accidents or shipping losses in that region.

4. Which of the following represents an opinion statement on the part of the author?

a. The problem with having a larger Bermuda Triangle is that it increases the odds of accidents.
b. The area known as the Bermuda Triangle has become such a part of popular culture that it can be difficult to sort through the myth and locate the truth.
c. The increase in ships from East Asia no doubt contributes to an increase in accidents.
d. Most consider the Triangle to stretch from Miami to Puerto Rico and include the island of Bermuda.

5. Curtis is taking a road trip through Germany, where all distance signs are in metric. He passes a sign that states the city of Dusseldorf is 45 kilometers away. Approximately how far is this in miles?

a. 42 miles
b. 37 miles
c. 28 miles
d. 16 miles

6. 0.0178 x 2.401

Simplify the expression above. Which of the following is correct?

a. 2.0358414
b. 0.0427378
c. 0.2341695
d. 0.3483240

7. 4(2x-6)=10x-6

Solve for x above. Which of the following is correct?

a. 5
b. -7
c. -9
d. 10

8. The two criteria for classifying epithelial tissue are cell layers and ___________.

11. Historians tend to count Bede as the father of English History, because he compiled extensive historical details about early England and wrote the Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

Which of the following words does not function as a verb in the sentence above?

a. tend
b. count
c. compiled
d. wrote

12. Which of the following sentences represents the best style and clarity of expression?

a. Without adequate preparation, the test was likely to be a failure for Zara
b. The test was likely to be a failure for Zara without adequate preparation
c. Without adequate preparation, Zara expected to fail the test
d. Zara expected to fail the test without adequate preparation

TEAS Answers & Explanations

1. C: The passage is expository in the sense that it looks more closely into the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle and exposes information about what researchers have studied and now believe.

2. D: This sentence is the best summary statement for the entire passage, because it wraps up clearly what the author is saying about the results of studies on the Bermuda Triangle.

3. A: Of all the sentences provided, this is the most likely one with which the author would agree. The passage suggests that most of the “mysteries” of the Bermuda Triangle can be explained in a reasonable way. The passage mentions that some expand the Triangle to the Azores, but this is a point of fact, and the author makes no mention of whether or not this is in error. The author quotes the Navy’s response to the disappearance of the planes, but there is no reason to believe the author questions this response. The author raises questions about the many myths surrounding the Triangle, but at no point does the author connect these myths with what are described as accidents that fall “within the expected margin of error.”

4. C: The inclusion of the statement about the ships from East Asia is an opinion statement, as the author provides no support or explanation. The other statements within the answer choices offer supporting evidence and explanatory material, making them acceptable for an expository composition.

5. C: One kilometer is about 0.62 miles, so 45(0.62) is 27.9, or approximately 28 miles.

6. B: Question 9 is a simple matter of multiplication. The product is 0.0427378.

7. C: Multiplying the equation results in the following:

8. C:Cell layers and cell shape are the criteria for classifying epithelial tissue.

9. B: The integumentary system includes skin, hair, and mucous, and all are responsible-in part, at least-for blocking disease-causing pathogens from entering the blood stream. The circulatory system distributes vital substances through the body. The lymphatic system sends leaked fluids from the cardiovascular system back to the blood vessels. The reproductive system stores bodily hormones that influence gender traits.

10. D: There are three domains: Archaea, Eukarya, and Eubacteria. Fungi, along with Plantae, Animalia, and Protista, falls within the Eukarya domain.

11. B: The word count is part of an infinitive phrase (to count), and infinitive phrases function as nouns, so the word count cannot be a verb. All other answer choices are verbs.

12. C: Answer choice C summarizes the ideas within the sentence simply and clearly. Answer choice A moves the ideas around to make them awkward instead of effective. Answer choice B creates a dangling modifier with the phrase without adequate protection, so it cannot be correct. Similarly, answer choice D makes this phrase a dangling modifier that makes the flow of thought awkward instead of clear.